Vehicle drivetrains having manually shiftable gears employ transmission clutches which are engaged and disengaged by a clutch release bearing during shifting. The clutch release bearing is engaged by a fork which is slidably mounted on a sleeve or quill. The clutch release bearing is part of an assembly which includes an anti-friction bearing having a first race non-rotatively supported by a housing and a second race which rotates with the fingers of the clutch pressure plate.
Commercial vehicle clutch release bearings require periodic replacement. Clutch release bearings receive localized wear on the inner and outer races. The point on the housing which is contacted by the shifting fork wears as a result of repeated engagement by the fork.
To accommodate radial misalignment between the axes of the quill and rotating clutch fingers, it is conventional for clutch release bearing assemblies to support the release bearing so as to be self-aligning. The ability of clutch release bearings to accommodate radial and angular clutch misalignment is important in reducing wear of the clutch release bearing.